One of the main measures released by the government to combat the crisis caused by the coronavirus, The emergency aid of R $ 600 per month must be requested over the internet, via Caixa Econmica Federal website or official application. However, amid the desperation of many people to receive the resources, unofficial apps are passing through the government platform in official app stores.

In a quick search for terms like emergency help or emergency help in the Play Store, Google's app store, you can find them dozens, with names like benefit check, family balance check 2020, family benefit check, among others. PlayStore the operating system store Android, used by at least nine out of ten cell phones in the country.

Image shows fake apps available on the Google app store

It is something that many users should take care of: in addition to not being used for official registration for emergency assistance, these applications can still be used by cybercriminals to steal citizens' personal data such as name, address, CPF and other important documents.

Searched, Google said it is aware of the problem. We are reviewing applications that are reported by users and, if a violation is proven, we will remove them from our store, the company said. The profusion of apps happens, in part, because Google has a specific policy for publishing programs in its store: first, the developers put the apps on the air, so that later, if there are complaints or irregularities, the company acts.

If, on the one hand, this facilitates and democratizes the creation of apps, according to experts, on the other hand it can also create a problem for security and digital privacy. Already Apple, owner of the other big smartphone app store, has a different system: in the App Store, only apps that are reviewed are published.

To avoid falling into the problem, it is good to pay attention to some aspects. Among them, the name and the company responsible for the app in the case of government systems, the name remains as the Government of Brazil or of agencies and state-owned companies, such as INSS, Caixa or Serpro, for example.

In addition, it is worth paying attention to the icons of the various applications of the irregular apps, for example, contained logos of past managements, such as Pas Rico Pas Sem Pobreza. It is also good to consult the comments of the applications in the official stores. On the internet, it is good to still have the back: if you suspect that the app is not real, do not enter your data.